More Koreans Remarry

A total of 107,602 people in Korea remarried in 2012, more than two-and-a-half times the number in 1982. The figure divides into 51,114 men and 56,488 women.

It includes a growing proportion of people over 50 who try again, in part reflecting the rise in the average life.

In 1982, women over 50 accounted for only six percent of remarriages among women but in 2012 they accounted for 21.8 percent. The proportion of men over 50 who married again has also risen from 15.5 percent to 35.6 percent. That brings the average age of people who remarry to 46.6 for men and 42.3 for women, up 7.7 and 8.6 years respectively over the 30-year period.

Yoon Yeon-ok at Statistics Korea said, "As life spans increase, more middle-aged and older people seek to remarry rather than live alone."

Women who remarry now outnumber men. From 1982 to 2012, there has been a 227.6 percent rise in the number of women tying the knot again, compared to a 93.5 percent increase among men.

A Statistics Korea official said the trend reflects the rising social status of women in society and the economy.